Silicon-containing films are one of the most important components in semiconductor devices and development of their various fabrication processes has been highly investigated. Silicon oxide (SiO2) films may be used as capacitor and insulating layers. D. Tahir et al., “Electronic and optical properties of Al2O3/SiO2 films grown on Si substrate”, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 43, 255301 (2010). Silicon nitride (SiN), silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon carbonitride (SiCN) films may be used as hard mask, diffusion barriers or trench etch-stop layers. Si-Yi Li et al., “Selectivity Control in Plasma Etching for Dual Damascene with OSG films”, Abstract #242, 199th ECS Meeting (2001); Ping Xu et al., “A Breakthrough in Low-k Barrier/Etch Stop Films for Copper Damascene Applications”, Semiconductor FABTECH, 11, 239 (2000); Y. L. Wang et al., “Integration of SiCN as a Low k Etch Stop and Cu Passivation in a High Performance Cu/Low k Interconnect”, Materials 5, 377-384 (2012).
Use of pentachlorodisilane (PCDS or Si2HCl5) and pentakis(dimethylamino)disilane (Si2H(NMe2)5) as vapor deposition precursors has been described in the prior art. See, e.g., US2004/224089 to Singh et al., WO2007/112780 to Dussarrat, and US2008/026149 to Tomasini et al.
However, it remains a challenge to find silicon-containing precursors suitable for commercial deposition of silicon-containing films.